Copper was essential to building America in the 19th century. Before it could be used in trains and other steam engines or in electrical wiring, copper had to be mined from rocks and smelted – extracted from its ore by heating and melting. As a result, many experienced European miners came to America in the 1800s to work in areas rich with copper mines, like Keweenaw County in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. These miners, who worked by hand, would keep fine specimens from their discoveries for their own collections.

In Sculptural Copper Saved from the Smelter, visitors will explore an array of copper specimens that these miners collected over the years. The copper on view has been sculpted by nature, with each specimen strangely and beautifully unique.

The exhibition is on view September 3 - December 13, 2024, in the Mineralogical Museum in Penny Hall. The Mineralogical Museum is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free.